Meet Indian who bought island in Indian Ocean, turned it into luxury resort, price per night is Rs...; no connection with Mukesh Ambani, Adani, Narayana Murthy

A true businessman only needs one idea, which he works hard to bring to fruition, and then turns it into a success. More than 100 years ago, a family from Mandvi in the Kutch area of Gujarat had a dream. They moved from their humble surroundings to a small island country across the Indian Ocean, where they went on to become a leading business entity. Some 10 years ago, the third generation of the family turned to a new venture, taking the family's legacy a step further. We are talking about none other than Seychelles businessman Sunil Shah, who bought an island and transformed it into a luxury resort. 

Before he joined his father's business, Sunil Shah studied to become a Chartered Accountant (CA). Speaking about how he got a business idea, Sunil Shah was quoted by Condé Nast Traveller as saying, "As a child, I had a great interest in art, architecture, and natural landscapes. I wanted to follow my passion for creating beautiful spaces to live, work, and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. I realised creating was in my blood. And I wanted to leave a legacy, something that everyone would marvel at and get to enjoy."

Why Sunil Shah realised that creating was in his blood was because of his grandfather, GM Bhuta, who was an architect in the 40s and 50s and, to this day, is widely popular for his work for IIT Bombay and Delhi's Raj Ghat. 

Sunil Shah heads AJ Shah & Associates, which is based in Victoria, the capital city of the Seychelles. It is one of the leading accounting companies in the country. Seychelles is a beautiful country that often attracts tourists from all over the world, and that is why Sunil Shah, along with his late father Anant-Jivan Shah, started working on a new project, acquiring an island in the 150-island archipelago, which is also one of the people's favourite beach destinations. 

Sunil Shah bought the Round Island, spread across an area of .018 square kilometres, which earlier had only one small restaurant in sight. Thanks to Sunil Shah's vision, it is now home to the ultra-luxurious Enchanted Island resort, located in Seychelles' Sainte Anne Marine National Park, only a 10-minute boat ride from the town of Mahe.

Sunil Shah invested a whopping $9 million in developing the island. The resort took 5 years to build, with 8 villas, run by a Dubai-based hotel operator. As per media reports, tourists pay close to Rs 8.5 lakh here for a night for a private island outing for 24 people. 
 
The prices of the villas reportedly range from Rs 45,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh per person. Guests from all over the world now visit the property for a taste of Seychelles. These are usually high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) from parts of Europe, Russia, and the Middle East, as well as some well-known celebrities. 

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